The strength of a Demigod
by Seas and Shadows
Summary: When Percy, Annabeth and Nico discover that a Russian Scientist is building a bomb capable of killing gods, the three of them trek across America, Canada and Russia to destroy the device. Unfortunately, there's only one person who can lead them to the bomb- And he's insane. Can the four teenaagers stop something capable of destroying everything? Or will the world fall to nothing?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!**

**This has been in my head ever since I read a certain story, and I really want to write it. I will be updating Unstoppable, and eventually get around to Percy Jackson and co. go to Hogwarts, but, meh. 'Nuff said.**

**READ, MY MINIONS!**

**From the awesomest guy ever, (except for those awesome demigods,) Seas and Shadows.**

**(This is set before TLO)**

Percy's POV

Annabeth and I dashed through the lab's hallway, looking for the room we had to go in.

We were nearly there.

Just a bit further.

"There!" Annabeth shouted from behind me. "This is the one!"

I backtracked, and looked at the door for a split-second. Mysterious glass window thing at head height, skull and crossbones, 'Do not enter' sign, flashy lights from the other end. Yup, this is the place.

One split-second later, I slammed into the metal door, knocking it off its hinges and crashing to the floor.

Gunshots could be heard behind us, as well as the sound of footsteps and yelling. We had to hurry. We had to move.

But I didn't listen to those thoughts as I stepped into the room. It was about the size of half the throne room on Olympus, which by itself is an amazement, but it was filled with wires and pipes and machines and all kinds of other weird stuff.

How I didn't notice the colossal room before I had no idea.

But what really captivated my attention was what was in the middle of the room. Hundreds of Percy-sized tubes swirled and joined and connected to something, something that was clearer as I got closer.

Suspended in the air by hundreds of flickering wires and tubes, was a boy.

An oxygen mask was strapped across his face, concealing his features, but it was clear that he was unconscious and in pain. The pipes covered both of his arms, up to the shoulders, but there was nothing else supporting him if the boy fell down.

'Down' meaning a twenty foot drop onto solid marble tiles.

Got it. Change of plan- Unplug the wires from the source.

I squinted at the two sets of machinery attached to the kid's arms. They looked fragile, but green volts of electricity were flashing across them, like conductors. Were they supposed to do that?

The wire-conductor-tube things led to a giant see-through wall, with more of the green energy inside. All of the stuff was getting sucked into some other machine, but I could see a label on it.

'DANGER. HIGHLY FLAMMABLE AND EXPLOSIVE. TOXIC. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.'

Ookay. I'm guessing the big words mean that the green stuff is bad.

Another change of plan- Cut the wires where they were lowest.

Suddenly, Nico burst in, panting slightly.

"Summoned a couple of skeletons to… Hold 'em.. off, but not… for long" He panted, leaning on his sword.

I turned back to the machine/prison, looking for a weak spot. After a few minutes, I finally found a section that I could reach with my sword and didn't have as much electricity running through.

"Annabeth, get ready to catch this kid. Nico, cut the other set of wires. No, a little further… There! Okay, one, two, THREE!"

Nico and I sliced at the same time, in one fluid motion, and the boy fell from the air.

Annabeth grabbed the back of his hoodie before he became a pancake, and ripped the tubes and mask off him.

Big mistake. The boy howled in pain, and, opening his eyes, seemed to realize where he was.

The sleeves of his jacket were in shreds, with droplets of blood coming off him. Oops.

At the same time, the a dozen guards carrying guns came running into the room. Two had skeletons clinging on to them. I guess Nico's skeletons were pretty good at slowing them down, as on of the guards tripped and fell on his face.

Something crunched.

Probably a big mortal nose.

"There!" One of them shouted, and they opened fire.

"Behind me!" I shouted. Thank the gods for invincibility. Annabeth and the kid ducked behind my back, while Nico, on the other end of the room, started taking the guards out from behind.

I ran forward. Nico needed help. After all, he wasn't invincible.

As if jinxing the situation, the moment I got there, one of the last guards seemed to realize that shooting at me was useless, turned, and shot Nico three times, in the chest, thigh and right leg.

A million things seemed to happen at once.

Nico roared in pain, collapsing on the marble tiles.

Annabeth, dragging the kid behind part of the machine, out of bullet range.

Three more skeletons entering the room, and bringing down most of the remaining guards.

The flickering green electricity that seemed to circle the bullets as they lodged themselves into the skeletons, knocking them down.

Me, yelling in fury like an animal as I tackled the last guard to the ground, the same guard that shot Nico.

Blood was pounding in my ears. Nico couldn't be dead; he couldn't possibly just die on me…

* * *

I should probably explain what's going on.

_I was lying against Thalia's tree, sitting next to Annabeth and Nico, who_ _were both looking happy and great. The Titans had been killed, the cabins were built, the Stolls were pranking everyone in sight… Happy days._

_I caught sight of Chiron in his wheelchair mode, swiping through an Iris-message and beckoning to us frantically._

_I got up, Nico and Annabeth mirroring my actions, and we followed our mentor into the Big House. _

_I sat down on the edge of the Ping-Pong table, Annabeth on my lap. Nico stood to the side, in the shadows._

_I noticed little things from my ADHD- The way the centaur wrung his hands, the bulge in Nico's jacket, from his Mythomagic figure, Chiron locking the door, Annabeth fidgeting with her- Wait._

_Why's Chiron locking the door?_

_Said centaur turned to us, his expression grim. _

_"Children, we have a problem. Hermes found a message to a mortal scientist who's making a-"_

_I frowned. "Why are we so worried about some wannabe Einstein?"_

_Chiron studied a drachma from his shirt pocket, as if he'd never see one again._

_"Percy, this man is clear sighted. He's found out about the gods and demigods, and he's building a bomb capable of destroying every mythological creature in the world, no matter whether it's Greek, Norse, Roman, Egyptian…" He trailed off._

_I felt my jaw go slack._

_All I could manage was "H-how...?"_

_Chiron put the drachma away, looking at the ground. "The man, Alexander Trioveski, is a Russian who managed to capture a legacy of the gods. What Alexander didn't know is that this child, who is thirteen, is descended from the Olympians. Alexander is harnessing the boy's energy for the bomb."_

_Nico looked confused. "So, your average demigod can be used to kill the gods?"_

_Chiron shook his head. "No child. This boy is descended from every god in the Olympian counsel, minus the maiden gods, such as Hestia and Artemis. Not only that, this boy's also descended from even stronger beings- Pallas, the Titan of war, Hecate, the god/Titan of crossroads and magic, Kratos the god of strength, Selene, before she faded of course, and Prometheus. Of course, the boy's strongest powers come from Hecate, as she is his grandmother. He is stronger both physically and mentally than any demigod in existence."_

_My jaw hit the floor, as Nico's eyes became the size of dinner plates and Annabeth fell on the floor. I realized she fainted, probably from an information overload._

_I stood up. "So, what do we do?"_

_Chiron wheeled himself next to his collection of music, observing one of his more gruesome songs. _

_"You need to free the boy. He's being kept in a laboratory in Georgia. Go to your cabins. You'll find Hermes has packed you all bags, and given you the exact location of where the boy is. Afterwards, get the boy to show you the location of where the bomb is being built. The child knows things…_

_Am I able to count on the three of you for this mission?"_

_Nico and I nodded. I woke up Annabeth, and after telling her what happened, she rushed to our cabin. I followed her, but stopped at the doorway._

_"Chiron… When is the bomb going to be activated?"_

_My mentor turned back to me, and I saw something I had never seen in his eyes before- Fear._

_"Percy… Alexander finished his bomb long ago. He's arming his guards with weapons that can kill immortals. This man had stated that the bomb will be launched in two weeks._

* * *

Annabeth and I ran over to Nico, the guards lying on the floor, unconscious.

We knelt next to him, Annabeth taking out some nectar from her backpack. How come she always carried the important stuff? All Hermes gave me were the things that a pack mule would carry.

I took it and let it trickle down Nico's open mouth. A few drops went down the side of his face, but I didn't care. I was more worried about why it wasn't working.

The blood kept flowing.

The wounds stayed the same.

Nothing was working.

Could Nico be-

"Stand aside."  
It was the first time the kid spoke. It sounded harsh- like he hadn't done anything other than scream for the past few months. Then again, he probably had.

I obliged, and so did Annabeth.

The kid held out his hand at Annabeth.

"I assume you have more than one knife?"

I realized Annabeth had been holding her dagger. Silently, she opened he backpack, and took out two steel throwing knives.

How she got them I had no idea, but I didn't say anything.

Neither did the kid. He took them, and knelt next to Nico and I.

"These bullets are specifically designed to kill someone with godly blood. Ambrosia and nectar won't do anything, neither will mortal supplies. It was made from my life- force and energy, so only I can fix it."

I frowned. How did he know this?

"The first thing you have to do is take the bullets out, as shown."

Saying that, he used the two knives as pliers, pinching the bullet from Nico's chest out. The son of Hades gasped in pain, but remained unconscious.

I took a closer look at the bullet. It wasn't an orb surrounding it, it was green electricity flowing _in _it. The bullet seemed to glow with a cold green light.

The boy peered into the wound.

"Odd. The bullet missed the lungs and heart by a fraction. Lucky, I guess, but this guy won't be running races for a month, with the placement of the bullets. If the guard was an expert, and he probably was, he was trying to make sure Mr. Skeletons and Goth here is alive for questioning, but unable to escape."

Again, this guy looked the same age as Nico. How in the name of Hades did he know stuff like this, when even Annabeth looked confused?

Well, a little bit. Annabeth seemed more impressed than confused.

I watched as the kid took out the other two bullets, all while making sideways comments about the injuries that Nico had.

I realized he had never looked up yet.

"Alright, then. The next part is to destroy the energy that's corrupting the godly blood- the problem that's blocking the Ambrosia and nectar."

Now both Annabeth and I looked confused. How do you destroy electricity without exploding?

The kid pulled the hood over his face and stood up. Raising his arms, he chanted a single word in Ancient Greek-

**"****_Καθαρίζω!"_**

_Purge._

Nico was lifted in the air, suddenly surrounded by a glowing green light, similar to the electricity in the bullets, but warmer, kinder, more gentle.

For brief moments, I saw flickers run across Nico's body, black dancing spots flickering, like inverted stars.

Nico shuddered for a moment, and black smoke poured out of his wounds, just like how black paint dissolves in water. The green lightpoured into the wounds, and I saw them rapidly closing up.

Point blank bullet holes that were immune to Ambrosia, closing together like it never happened.

Slowly, the glow faded, placing Nico gently on the ground.

The kid lowered his arms.

Annabeth and I looked at him, dumbstuck.

Suddenly, an alarm blared, and several shouts could be heard. Regardless of whether it was safe or not, I slung Nico on my shoulder and headed to the door, Annabeth and the hoodie-kid in hot pursuit.

* * *

The four of us huddled into an alley as SUVs carrying guards drove by.

They had nearly caught us.

Nico was still unconscious.

The kid's knees suddenly buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, completely silent.

Annabeth looked at me. "We forgot to help him!"

I placed Nico onto an old mattress, and did the same for the kid.

The shadows of his hood and the cover of night hid his face. All I could see were the whites of his eyes.

The kid was still awake- somehow, he had run four miles after getting the energy sucked oit of him for Zeus knows how long. His arms were filled with gashes, and the healing seemed to have drained the boy, but he had kept moving, all this time.

It made me pretty impressed.

"It's gonna be alright." I told him. "You're safe now. They won't hurt you again. What's your name, kiddo?"

"M-Mykola." The kid stammered. "It's Ukranian for the present- My parents thought that I was special… That I could help everyone…" The boy looked down. "And now look. If I was a little stronger… My family wouldn't be dead."

_Wouldn't be dead. _

Sadness washed over me- This guy was barely a teenager, and he had watched his family die.

I wanted to take his mind of them, so I decided to change the topic.

"Oh. How long ago were you taken?"

I mentally slapped myself. How was this supposed to help the guy recover?

But the boy didn't look angry, or sad. He seemed a bit… unsteady, maybe just a little bit crazy.

The boy frowned. "I… think….. about a year or two… give or take… the machine is designed to take most of your life force… It makes it hard to remember…"

I reeled back, going through a muillion things at once. This kid had been tortured endlessly for two years, and he still

Had summoned energy to fight. Every time a guard came near us, Mykola had summoned some sort of black portal, and sucked the guy right out of the world.

And a lot of guards had come after us…

Mykola's eye twitched,and he suddenly smiled. And I don't mean a happy smile, I'm leaning closer to 'Insane'.

"I don't thinkmy mind survived it. Now, everything seems so… funny."

He laughed, but coughed up some blood.

Annabeth, who was on the other side of the mattress, treating Nico quietly, glared at me, like- 'How come you haven't done anything! Help him'

I took the message and started to give the kid some nectar.

After a minute or two of swallowing the godly drink, some of the cuts had disappeared.

Mykola stood up, and began walking around, ignoring our sounds of protest.

The kid stretched, and his hood came off…

The street lamp had just flickered to life, showing the boy's face.

And his face… I suddenly gasped.

He was pale, with dark brown hair, almost black. His eyes were the same colour. He was slightly tanned, and looked exactly like Nico, exept with darker skin and lighter hair. He even walked the same way Nico did.

But that wasn't what made me gasp.

No.

I gasped when I saw the scars that covered his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**…Guys, I personally feel kinda disappointed. ****_17 views_**** after a whole day? Out of every single person worldwide, only seventeen of you bothered to read? And only two reviewed? I'm seriously hurt. My writing isn't that bad, is it? **

**Anyway, if you have any questions, send them to me. It will become my temporary sole aim in life until I respond.**

***Jumps off plane to start skydiving***

***Checks IPod in mid-air***

**Me- Hey! A question in a review!**

***Starts responding back to the person***

***Forgets to open parachute***

***Becomes pancake on the ground***

**Rick Riordan is not dead lilke me, so this proves that I don't own PJO.**

**Well, here, some questions are answered, and new allies are about to form.**

**Read onwards, if you dare!**

3rd Person POV

_15 days until bomb launch._

The next morning, Nico had woken up, and the four teens started to move to avoid the guards.

They were in Tennessee, Lebanon, resting next to the Confederate Memorial, when Mykola suddenly perked up like a dog, and sprinted off into S Maple Street, mindless of passing cars, dodging around things like a professional.

Nico Annabeth and Percy had chased after him, but when they finally caught up to the younger boy, he jerked to the left, and ran into the Farmer's Market. The demigods began chasing him once again, and Mykola finally stopped in front of an old garage, shifting and fidgeting.

Annabeth was the first to talk.

"Why… *Pant* Did you… *Pant* Do that? *Huff* We could have lost you! In fact,…"

Annabeth went into a complete rant about the dangers of running away, but Mykola didn't seem to hear. He walked over to the middle of the garage, where there was a small keyhole, and pressed his hand above the lock.

Suddenly, the whole door started to move upwards, revealing a full-on base- A mini-Fridge, A white board, A computer, beds, a TV, couches, tables, maps, equipment… Everything your average demigod would need.

The three demigods' mouths dropped.

Mykola walked right in, grabbed a bag of chips and a Coke, and lounged on a bed. He seemed to notice his three friends for the first time.

"Well? Come on! Welcome to one of the many bases of The Reinforcement!"

The demigods dove in, and Mykola closed the door.

Time for a break.

* * *

Nico's POV

Mykola was putting up a map on the whiteboard, as the rest of us reclined on a couch with a six pack of Coke.

How this guy knew where all this was, I had no idea, but if he was a demigod or something, then he'd have to know loads of street smarts. Maybe this was some place for the workers at a KFC.

Mykola turned to us. "Now, you guys told me earlier that you guys are working against Alexander Trioveski, right?"

We nodded.

"Well, this guy is deadly. He has contacts all over the world, both mortal and godly. Three demigods and a legacy aren't gonna stop him."

I was confused. Legacy? I asked about it.

"My grandmother's Hecate, and my grandfather's Ma-Ares."

I nodded. Okay. Descendants of demigods existed. That didn't really surprise me.

Mykola turned back to the board. "Well, if your going to be fighting against Trioveski, you'll need help. This guy has thousands of guards, all unnaturally loyal to him. Probable because he has some cards from the Lotus Casino. That guy's rich."

Annabeth leaned forward, curious. "What does this have to do with…"

"You'll need help. I'm the leader of a group of fighters, The Reinforcement. Of course, we also need to make an attack on Trioveski's bases… We'll have to split up. Nico, Annabeth, got to Texas, Fort Hood, in Killeen. Ask around for a Liam Cromwell. You'll find him before the day is out. Take these."

He handed Annabeth the three bullets that had been shot into me. I shuddered. That was a bad memory.

Percy looked angry. "Why don't I go with Annabeth-"

"No." My doppelgänger stood firm. "Annabeth is a child of Athena, perfect for negotiation. If she needs proof that they aren't cronies of Alexander, the bullets and Nico's wounds will be enough. Both Annabeth and Nico are needed in Texas. Percy, I'll need you since you're invincible. I need someone at my back when we're destroying Alexander's bases. I don't know the exact location of the bomb, but I've narrowed it down to 7 possible areas."

He referred to his map, where seven blood red pins had been placed.

I couldn't help but stare at the scars on his face. Mykola wouldn't tell us how he got them, but the message was clear- _Torture._

The right side of his face was completely unscathed, but when he turned to the right, he gave us a perfect view of the scars. The biggest was a long scar similar to Luke's, but running from the hairline, over the left eye, his lip, and ended at the bottom of his chin. He had another scar that reached from the side of his ear to the middle of his cheek, as well as another two dozen scars both long and short, thick and thin, running all over the left side of his face. He looked like a cross between me and Prometheus.

I decided to focus on the map. There were two pins in Russia, one on the eastern coast, and one near the middle. In Alaska, there was one in the northern area, and in Canada, there were two in the south-east section. There was one on the border of Canada and America, and another near Texas. There was one on Australia as well, but the pin was coloured blue.

I wondered why. Had he run out of evil coloured pins to place? Or maybe he thought that baby blue was just as frightening.

"Nico, Annabeth, we'll keep in contact via Iris Messaging. You two and Liam will lead a raid on the one in Texas. Percy and I will take down the one on the border. Good luck."

And with that, the war council was adjourned.

* * *

Annabeth's POV

It was midnight. I was still awake. I was worried.

The thirteen year old had managed to get us shelter, food, weapons, and help, after being tortured for a year and a half. He had an organisation filled with probable demigods, reminding me of Camp Half-Blood.

How old was he when he made all this? He reminded me of when I was seven, on the run. He was like that too, but instead, he had no camp to be led to. So he made his own.

Also, I was worried about Percy. What happened if something hit his Achilles spot? No-one knew it. What happened if Mykola went a little crazy, and swung his axe the wrong way?

Mykola had opened a panel ten minutes ago, when he thought everyone was asleep. I had watched him though.

He had offered to take first watch, and even though he was thirteen, weak and weaponless, we crashed.

I kept one eye open though.

When he was sure we were asleep, he crept silently to a blank part of a wall, and placed his hand against it. There was a flash of green light, and a panel opened, revealing a silver double sided battle axe.

I mentally gasped, but I stayed quiet.

Mykola grasped the axe easily, swinging it in wide arcs.

"'Tis been a long time since I used you, eh, Geonegas?"

The translation came into my head like lightning- _Hope._

Mykola had paused, and grabbed something else from the panel- a photo.

He stared at it for a long time, putting his axe on the ground, and tracing his scars with a finger, as if imagining himself when he was younger, without the scars.

"Miss ya, guys. Say hello for me."

He stared at it for a moment longer. His back was turned, so I slowly got out of bed.

"Love ya, Candide. I hope I'll see you again sometime. I never knew how lucky I was."

I took a hesitant step. Percy would know what to say, but he was snoring. I wanted to help somehow, but I didn't know how.

In a flash, Mykola had turned around, facing me. He dropped the photo in horror. He seemed… embarrassed.

I flushed red. "I-um… uh, I thought… My turn to uh… take watch?"

Mykola seemed to realize he was blushing and quickly put on a straight face.

"No. I got this. Get back to sleep."

I slapped myself mentally. I should have been a bit smoother. But before I could do anything, Mykola shouldered his battle-axe and went outside to stand guard. He moved almost robotically.

My shoulders sagged. There goes a perfectly good chance to help him recover. I decided to go back to sleep.

But before I went, I picked up the photo. It showed three people-

A kid with blond hair, and looking about fourteen in the picture was standing on the side, with Mykola in the middle, looking about 11, without the scars. He was arm in arm with someone else, a girl looking the same age, with dark brown hair reaching the waist, and light blue eyes. They were all laughing, as if they just shared a joke, and the blonde

I assumed the big guy was Liam, when something else hit me.

_Love ya, Candide._

This girl… were they a couple?

"It's not nice to pry into secrets, you know."

I whirled around, to see Mykola longing on the couch. How did he do that?

Suddenly, the guy twitched. Uh-oh.

He was going crazy again.

His eyes started darting around the room, and he stood up, sniffing.

My heart was pounding. I did not want to die by a crazy dude with an axe.

Suddenly, he opened the garage door, and dashed outside.

I ran to follow him, and when I got out, I looked up to see Mykola in hand-to-hand combat with a Hellhound. Two more pounced behind him.

I was about to shout for help, when Mykola did something that surprised everyone.

He jumped, and cleaved the first Hellhound's skull in two, smashing the top of its skull with his axe.

He didn't let go, and as the Hellhound moved up to give a final howl, he flew up with it.

Mykola flipped backwards, moving as if doing a flip, and got the tips of his axe buried inside the back of the second beast while it was airborne. They both melted into dust.

I stood, frozen, as Mykola darted around the last Hellhound, striking here, jabbing there. Every time the monster turned, roared or lunged it'd get a blow on the opposite side it was facing.

At last, the final monster melted into a pile of golden dust. Mykola walked back to the shed as if it was nothing.

I stared at Mykola. "How did you learn to do that?"

He shrugged. "Practice. Training. A few claws in unspeakable places."

I didn't think so. Those moves were equal to a trained professional at Camp Half-Blood.

I followed him to the shed, where I'd think about what I'd seen.

What was Mykola's past? Where did he come from? How did he start The Reinforcement?


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back!**

**I would like to make an announcement- I am completely humiliated.**

**This story has been in my head for months- I've thought of how it all goes, who dies, who moves on- I've been mentally perfecting it for ages.**

**And I've gotten only three reviews and THIRTY FIVE FREAKING VIEWS.**

**Out of all the people in the world, less than forty people actually bother to read my story?**

**Another one of mine, Percy Jackson and co. go Hogwarts, (Personally my worst fanfic) got over 270 views in the first hour.**

**3 DAYS, and less than forty views for my personally rated best story so far.**

**Like I said- Humiliated.**

**I thank those that actually bothered to read my story, and for those few who reviewed- THANKS.**

**Read on!**

Percy's POV

_13 days until bomb launch_

I glared at Mykola's back as we jostled our way through the crowd.

Correction- _I_ jostled through the crowd. Everyone gave Mykola a wide berth from his scars, but he didn't seem to mind. It was identical to Nico's case. Creepy.

We were looking for one of the possible locations of the god bomb, as we'd started to call it.

In NIAGRA FREAKING FALLS.

Seriously, what kind of crazy psychotic villain hides his super dangerous bomb in a waterfall? Let alone one of the most famous tourist areas in the world.

What happens in some guy with a camera takes a wrong turn, and finds himself in a base for criminal masterminds?

I highly doubted that this was the right spot.

Mykola made his way to a ticket stand. "Two adult passes for the Journey behind the Falls private tour, please."

The clerk didn't look up from her magazine. "Thirty one ninety for two passes."

Mykola gave her a fifty. "Keep the change, as long as you let as few people know about it."

The clerk looked, up, and the moment she saw the scars on his face, she hurriedly gave him two slips of paper. She quickly gave a phone call to another worker while she did it.

"Yes, two teens, a private tour. Yes, Mark, I said two teens on a _private _tour. He gave us fifty bucks, said we can keep it if we kept the change. Just do it Mark, they may be kids, but they're kinda creepy. _Mark, don't make me- _Good. Bye."

The clerk chewed on her bubble gum. "Hurry up then, there's a line, in case you haven't noticed."

Typical mortals.

Just as I was about to retort, Mykola grabbed me by the ear and led me away.

Man, that guy had a strong grip for a tortured thirteen-year-old.

When we reached a near-empty park full of seagulls, Mykola glared at me.

"Percy, if we're going on a stealth mission, you have to do better than that."

I had a sudden flashback to my first encounter at the Hermes cabin, when I was just a scrawny kid.

_Jackson, you have to do better than that._

Awkward.

Mykola groaned, which looked kind of weird when you're face is riddled with scars.

"Of course. I should of realised that bringing a New-Yorker was a bad idea."

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true. You haven't exactly held your tongue when it comes to retorts, have you?"

"Well-"

"Exactly my point."

"You know-"

"A lot of things? Argh, I'm getting distracted, we need to- gah!"

Mykola suddenly collapsed onto the pavement, shuddering.

I bent down to help him, but the moment I touched him, he jumped up, and dashed over to the rails overlooking the Falls.

"Wait!" I shouted, but it was too late.

Mykola climbed on top of the rails, took one last wild look around, and jumped, falling hundreds of feet toward the churning water below.

Nico's POV

_14 days until bomb launch._

Annabeth leaned over to the bar waiter.

"You wouldn't know a 'Liam Cromwell' around here, would you?

The bar smith suddenly seemed much more interested in his apron.

"Missy, don't go throwin' that name around the place like it's nothin'. That guy… He's spooky, scarin' off me customers. Just… Just don't talk about him in my bar, 'kay?"

With that, he left, leaving us to work things out.

I scuffed at the floor with my shoe. My leg was still in pain, so I had to limp a lot during the evening. In the mornings, it was always rested and ready to move. But now…

"What are we gonna do now?" I asked. "How're we supposed to find a guy who everyone's scared of?"

Annabeth glared at me, and I froze. Scary girl alert.

"I-… I don't know, okay? Let's just find a room, get some sleep, and work this all out tomorrow."

I frowned. It's hard to sleep when you know you could be vaporized by the next day.

But I obliged anyway, and we got ourselves a room for the night in the bar.

While I was in bed, I wondered how Percy and Mykola were doing. They would be moving across the country right now.

I let myself wander through my thoughts, and eventually I heard Annabeth shuffle in her sleep.

Then I fell into Morpheus.

* * *

"Quiet. I think he's awake."

"Kay. Whadda we do know, man?"

"Get the girl. I need to have a talk with them. I need to know why their lookin' for me."

"But what if their guards?"

"I've been on the run with Mykola and Candide since I was eight. I think I know how to handle myself."

"Kay. I'll get the girl, then."

I heard the second guy walk off.

As soon as the other guy seemed sure he was gone, he grunted.

"Alrighty then, mate. I know you're awake. Come on, get up."

I continued feigning sleep.

The mystery kidnapper groaned, and I heard the sound of a chair creaking.

The guy was going to kill me. I knew it. It had to be.

I continued faking sleep. Maybe he would leave. I felt me arms tied behind a chair. I couldn't do anything to get out, as my skull ring was gone, too.

_Clank. Thump. Clank. _

The kidnapper was coming.

_Thump. Clank. Thump. Clank._

My mind was racing. I had to do something to get out.

_Thump. Clank. Thump._

He had reached me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I didn't move.

The man said a very rude word, and seemed to pick something up.

I opened an eye a crack. The guy was holding a bucket- WAIT-

_Plosh._

I spluttered cold water from my mouth.

"Hey! What was that for, y-"

I stopped when I saw the guy I was talking to.

He was tall, at least 6 foot, and had sandy blond hair, like Luke's.

His left leg was cut off at the knee, and had a metal prosthetic as a replacement.

But I couldn't tell you the colour of his eyes.

The kidnapper was wearing a cloth around his eyes, like a two-set eye-patch.

He was blind.

Annabeth was suddenly thrown in the room, her hands tied up behind her back.

The blind man's head perked up when he heard her stumble in, but he said nothing.

He put down the bucket, and sat back down on his chair.

"Now then," He started. "I hear you two buggers were lookin' fer a Liam Cromwell."

Annabeth spluttered. "Just because we're looking for someone, doesn't mean you can play messager! Bring us to him! Now!"

The blind man leaned back o his chair,, kicking his feet up on a table.

"Well now, that's no way to treat your host, is it missy?" He asked. I realized he had an Australian accent.

Two sandy coloured dogs prowled into the room, and sat by the blind man. They were probably his pets. The dogs growled at us.

"I'm Liam Cromwell." The blind dude stated. "Now, tell me why you came looking for me. These dingos have been trained to sense lies. If I think your lying, the answer is simple. You die."

"Now start talkin', or I'll show you two some torture plans that I've been dying to practice."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone, sorry for the long update/those who are waiting for my next chap. On Unstoppable or Journals. Well, other than Journals, I'm trying to get all my stories on the same number of chapters, then continue from there with everyone's. Sorry 'bout that.**

**Begin!**

**I don't own PJO**

3rd Person POV

_13 days until bomb launch_

If Percy hadn't been the son of Poseidon, Percy decided, Mykola would most likely be dead.

He had barely managed to turn the water into a massive cushion, then a giant hand to put Mykola back on the ground.

Now, the descendant of the gods was virtually smacking himself in the face as they walked through the crowd, going who-knows-where. "I'm useless. If that happens again, except with a bunch of rocks…" He mumbled. "Useless!"

Percy grabbed Mykola's shoulder. "Listen, it isn't your fault." Mykola pulled his shoulder away just as quickly. "Yes it is!"

"No, it's not. It's…" Percy's voice trailed off as he tried to think of who to blame. "Exactly." Mykola hissed. Percy only stared at the ground. Mykola, sensing he had won, checked his watch.

"Damnit! We're late for the tour! …Actually…" Mykola turned to the tunnel entrance that went behind the Falls. "Perfect…"

The Seaweed Brain had no idea what Mykola meant. "Perfect? But-"

"The group's already left, but only a few minutes ago. If we tell security we're a bit late, they'll let us through. We don't even have to find the group. The base is very, very close, and we don't want mortals interfering."

Mykola ran ahead, and Percy did his best to keep up. The whole way, Percy kept asking himself the same question. Who's fault was it?

* * *

"It's… Orange." Percy stared at the inside of the tunnel. Mykola stopped around ten metres ahead, and smacked his forehead. Percy was sure _blunt._

"And?"

Percy rubbed his hand against the wall of the tunnel. Amazingly, the orange stuff came off like a cross between sand and dirt.

"I've been in my share of tunnels, and they're always brown or grey. This thing is orange. And… Is this dirt?"

"No idea."

"Wow, you're sure helpful."

"Uh,-"

Mykola had turned just in time to see Percy slip on a puddle, landing face-first against the dirt.

"Be careful. The puddles are slippery."

Percy lifted himself up from the muddy ground, spitting dirt from his mouth. Stupid Puddle. Stupid Dirt. Stupid Mykola. "You could have warned me!"

"I did."

"Yeah, a little late!"

"Better late than never."

"But early can come in useful, Dumbledore!"

"If I'm Dumbledore, than you're Scale skin."

"What? No way in Hades, Spellbook."

"Whatever you say, Fish sticks."

It seemed as though our two heroes were cooperating perfectly.

"Hey! Take that back, you little alchemistic-"

"Okay. By the way, when you're angry, like now, you resemble a piranha's face. Did you ever notice that?"

"Yeah? Well I got something for you, Scar Face-" Mykola stiffened suddenly, and walked further down the tunnel. Only then Percy realized how low a blow he had just given. Mykola probably hated the gashes that covered his face.

Percy was about to run after the retreating form of his friend, when Mykola stopped, touched a part of the wall, and backtracked into another tunnel. Percy followed, and the two ended up moving for what Percy thought was ages. The tunnels seemed endless, and so was Mykola's endurance, as he hadn't slowed down at all.

"We're here."

Percy tried to feel impressed, but it was just another section of a tunnel. He looked around, trying to find some hidden pressure plate or something, like the movies.

Brownish-orange floor covered with puddles. Nope.

One big boring orange wall that extended into an ark to reach the low ceiling. Nada.

An identical wall to the other one, save for a tiny familiar-looking triangle-

Wait.

Percy went closer to have a better look, as Mykola went the whole hog, and touched the Mark of Daedalus. Somehow, even though the labyrinth was dying, the whole section of the wall, about three metres wide, opened up, Harry Potter style, revealing a laboratory almost identical to the one Daedalus used. The only difference was that the walls were still bright orange.

Percy's throat went dry. "How…?"

Mykola walked in, unperturbed by the lab. "Even though Daedalus died, and the Labyrinth is slowly fading, small parts such as this one will only be going after several years. The labyrinth is _huge. _As in, worldwide huge, as you discovered on your quest."

Percy decided not to ask how Mykola knew all this. It was easier for his poor brain that way.

"And, if something that stretches over the world is slowly fading at the speed of an ant, there will be hundreds of other parts of the labyrinth that survive for decades. Some parts disappear altogether, straightaway, like your war at your Camp. Others, like the section in Alcatraz, just went poof! Trioveski must have discovered this, hence why we can't see anyone. Sadly, this doesn't mean that here aren't any guards or monsters lurking around here. I scope it out. You stay here."

"I thought only descendants of the gods could-"

"Trioveski is actually a very faint descendant of Athena. So far back, he doesn't know it. Trioveski thinks that the labyrinth only works for the worthy, explaining why no guards can get in by themselves. Idiot."

Mykola turned around, about to start searching, but Percy stopped him.

"Also, Mykola, I understand you don't want to talk about how you got those scars-"

"You shouldn't have brought that up."

"-If you don't want to talk about it, well-"

"I don't."

"-Just try to let it out, 'kay? I mean, things feel easier after that."

"You wouldn't believe me anyway, even if I ever told you, which I won't."

After that, Mykola headed out to another section of the lab, out of sight.

Percy stomped on the ground in frustration. "How am I supposed to do this?"

"He doesn't mean any harm, you know."

Percy uncapped Riptide, and swung around, only to see someone that definitely hadn't been there two seconds ago. A woman in a dark green dress sat on the edge of one of the lab tables, resting there casually. She had bushy brown hair that was tied up in a ponytail, and red lips that looked more like cherries. To Percy, she looked kinda like those Italian people in those movies. "Who are you?" Percy did his best to keep his tone level as he pointed Riptide at the lady's torso. This person was obviously a goddess, but that wasn't going to stop Percy.

The lady smiled. "I am something all remember, yet people forget at the same time. I am the reason why your friend remembers his scars, and why he hates them. I am-"

"You did that to Mykola?!" It did seem kind of strange to believe. The Italian-looking lady looked pretty harmless.

"No, child. I only let him remember what he did."

Percy ran though the names of all the gods he knew. Remembering, forgetting, - Aha!

"You're Mnemosyne, Titaness of memory." The lady clapped her hands. "Correct! Memory means everything to a man's life. After all, what is the point of living when you don't even remember what you have to lose?"

Percy bit his lip angrily. "So then what happened to my friend, if you know abut it, huh? How'd he get those-"

"Hmm." Mnemosyne tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Perhaps-No, I shouldn't… Instead, how about I show you." The Titan touched Percy's forehead with her index finger, and it all went black.

_Percy was suddenly standing on a hill in the night. The Titan was missing. A full moon shone, and Percy could see two figures making their way across to where Percy was standing._

_"Come on, Alexa! Don't worry, it'll be fine. In fact, this'll be great!" A younger Mykola was reaching his hand out to a girl Percy had never seen before. She had a long white dress that reached her ankles, and black hair that was tied in a ponytail. 'Alexa' had green eyes that seemed to always be curious. The two were separated by a small creek, and it looked as though Mykola had jumped. Only then did Percy see that Mykola's scars were missing._

_"But-"_

_"Oh, fine! I'll just-" Mykola jumped back over the creek, picked Alexa up and balanced her on his shoulder like a sack, and jumped back over. _

_"Hey! Let me down, you little-"_

_"Whatever the lady wants." Mykola abruptly dropped the girl onto the soil. Alexa mock-glared at Mykola, brushing the dirt from her dress as she got up. Mykola grabbed his friend's hand and led her up the hill._

_"Why did we come here again?"_

_"Well…"_

_"Don't tell me this is another of your pranks."_

_Percy blinked. Mykola played pranks?_

_Mykola groaned. "I told you, the fire ants got everybody, not just you! It was a little revenge for you guys pretending to forget my birthday. You have to admit, the whipped cream was a little harsh."_

_Fire ants?_

_Alexa fumed. "That was Liam! You should have done your little animal prank again. That always freaks us out."_

_"Thank you. That shall be my next trick against you and Liam."_

_"Hey! You never said anything about Candide!"_

_"Because she, unlike you, treats me like I am an actual human being, not someone who does nothing but pranks."_

_"Cut the pranks out, and I will too."_

_"Ah, but she is actually fine with my pranks. In fact, she usually helps me."_

_"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you…"_

_"Because you love me."_

_"You're so annoying…"_

_"Look up."_

_Percy realized they had reached the hill, and were looking at the stars behind Percy. Turning around himself, Percy couldn't help but gasp when he saw the meteor shower. As Alexa and Mykola sat down, Percy heard a whispered conversation carry on._

_Alexa gave a small smile. "Well, Mr. I'm-The descendant-of-all-things-mighty? Why'd you bring me here?"_

_Mykola chuckled. "There's something I want to tell you."_

_"And what's that?"_

_"Happy Birthday, Alexa." Mykola suddenly crashed his lips against Alexa's who seemed very surprised, but let the kiss carry on. Percy felt as though he was intruding on something very, very secret._

_Suddenly, a massive crash sounded. The two people in the vision broke off the kiss, staring downwards, where the rumble erupted from._

_Another. Closer this time._

_Mykola stood up, standing in front of Alexa warily. He grabbed the wristwatch that Modern-day Mykola wore, and suddenly, it was a massive double side axe, made up of silver. Hefting it like it was no trouble, Mykola stepped forward again. _

_Silence._

_Then, chaos erupted. A massive vine that was easily a meter thick smashed from the ground underneath Alexa, and it grew up to over ten metres high. _

_"Alexa!"_

_A crossbow bolt appeared in Mykola's chest, millimetres from his heart. The descendant of the gods wheezed in pain, dropping to his knees. The axe fell to the ground_

_"Pity. I missed." A girl who looked about sixteen with long brown hair seemed to melt from nowhere, and pressed a newly-reloaded crossbow against Mykola's left temple. "Now, how shall I do this? Should I make you watch you little friend die? Or should I simply kill you now?"_

_Mykola said nothing. He stared into the distance, directly through Percy. He seemed almost bored._

_The mystery girl glared. "Seeing as you won't answer, maybe I'll hurt this one a bit!"_

_She threw open her hand, and the vines seemed to turn into a giant fist, grabbing Alexa, who had been precariously balanced on top. "No!" Mykola suddenly jolted into action, giving the attacker a very good tackle that would make anyone proud. The vines lost concentration, and Alexa fell to the ground, somehow surviving the impact. Alexa's eyes rolled back, and the girl lay unconscious as Mykola and his attacker scuffled. _

_Eventually, the girl won, kicking Mykola's jaw, and the boy slid backward. Fortunately, he landed close to his axe, which he grabbed quickly. The crossbow bolt was missing from his chest, looking as though it had been ripped very violently off him, and despite the blood, Mykola seemed to have gone feral. The girl's crossbow had slid away from her, so she opted for drawing two very thin swords of Celestial Bronze. The swords, unlike Riptide, seemed to be the ones people used in fencing, but these were honed to the very edge, and very deadly. _

_"You are not welcome here, Clio." Mykola growled. The girl smiled. "Ah, but Kronos sees you as a possible threat to the war. He knows about the raids you've lead, how many thousands of camps and monsters you and your 'Reinforcements' destroyed. You must be eliminated."_

_"We are both related to Demeter, Clio. Why do try to kill your own family?" Mykola asked. _

_Percy could see what he was doing. Stalling, gathering energy, and looking for any possible weak spots in his opponent. Sadly, Clio simply snarled and lunged, her swords narrowly missing Mykola. Mykola responded by hooking his axe against one of the sword blades and twisted, making a perfect lock. Clio tried to stab Mykola with her other sword in an attempt to break free, but Percy saw that she had made a mistake by pulling on the locked sword. Now all Mykola had to do was-_

_Mykola unlocked the axe from Clio's sword, and she flew backwards from the sudden release of force. Mykola smirked, but the smile fell from his lips when he saw Alexa, lying right next to Clio._

_The assassin followed his gaze, and gave an evil grin. Without pausing, Clio sunk both swords into Alexa's heart. A fatal wound. The girl died immediately._

_"NO!" Mykola roared. Dropping his axe yet again, Mykola shuddered with rage. "She was innocent. INNOCENT!"_

_"And now she's dead." Clio grinned, not realizing the danger she was in._

_"You killed her. Alexa had nothing to do with this. YOU KILLED HER!"_

_Mykola gave an inhuman yell, and charged at Clio, carrying nothing but his bare hands. Clio's eyes, strangely enough, widened in fear, and Percy could understand why. Instead of his normal back/brown eyes, Mykola's eyes had turned bright green-the same green as his life force- Sclera, iris, pupil and all. His arms now flickered with energy, and he grew an aura- a giant green aura that was growing every second._

_Clio suddenly lunged with her sword, the metal piercing Mykola's heart, but when Clio took the sword out, the tip had completely burned off. Mykola was still perfectly fine, if you count a glowing, green-eyed maniac that's intent on killing a killer fine. Clio turned around, a vain attempt to run, but Mykola already had the momentum. The boy grabbed Clio's body, lifted her upward, and Percy realized in shock that the aura Mykola had wasn't an aura- it was a massive avatar that was slowly rising, coloured almost solid green. Instead of Mykola's hand, the hand gripping Clio was a massive fist._

_Percy had seen an avatar before, as he and a boy named Carter tried to destroy a massive immortal crocodile of doom, but this one was ten times more powerful, and ten times more ready to kill. The half-complete avatar drew back its arm, and threw Clio far, far away, further than Percy could see…_

_The scene changed._

_A battered Mykola was now standing in the middle of one of Trioveski's empty labs, flanked by half a dozen guards. What Percy assumed was one of the scientists was pacing in front of Mykola, looking furious. The man was dressed in a lab coat, encouraging a flecked black and white goatee, and carried a pair of glasses perched on the end of a long nose._

_"Did you really think that you could escape me?" The scientist hissed._

_Percy took a closer look at Mykola, and realized how badly injured he was. Blood trickled from parts of his body, and a black eye was very visible. Mykola's eyes seemed devoid of hope. Curiously, his scars remained missing._

_Mykola gave an evil smile. "Well, you idiots have the worst security I've ever seen. Last week, I was a two-year-old breaking out of this place. So, I'll give that a yes."_

_The scientist gave Mykola a hard slap across his face, but the boy never lost his smile. "That is it! You have refused to tell us where the rest of your breed is hiding, corrupting the world with your filthy powers… We shall now bring this to the next level. Bring it in."_

_A massive door slid open, and a massive golden snake, tied against several boards of Titanium, slid in, the mini-cell pushed by over twenty guards. _

_Mykola frowned. "I thought you only had mortals here."_

_The scientist gave a short, cheerless laugh. "Well, I do need some more, ah, expendable workers, so I've begun to recruit monsters. We have been giving them certain chemicals, and we are now able to make any of our monsters reform after two hours or more. Any less and they disintegrate automatically."_

_Mykola seemed almost interested, but shook himself out of it. "So what the hell is that?"_

_The scientist grinned at Mykola, like they were old friends. "That, child, is a son of Ares, proving that the gods are monsters."_

_Mykola seemed to be thinking hard. "But… The only thing like that was slain by Cadmus."_

_Percy suddenly realized how the scientist talked, making sound like he was in charge. With a jolt, Percy discovered that this little man in a lab coat was actually Trioveski._

_The Russian stared at the monster fondly. "It reformed. Most legends say that this was a dragon, but Ares' son was actually a _drakon._ The one and only Theban drakon is now in our captivity. Since you refuse to talk, I will be leaving you here with nothing but my little friend. Once a week, I will take you out, and if you refuse to talk… Another week with this beast. Guards, lock the doors! We're leaving. Unleash the drakon!"_

_As the guards unshackled the Theban drakon's body, Percy got his first good look at the thing. It was a beautiful shade of gold, and was about as big as the drakon Percy had fought in the Battle of Manhattan. It had no arms or legs, but had a single fin-shaped upright scale on the top of its head. Malicious red eyes glared, and its mouth, even though it was devoid of poison, had teeth that were easily half the size of Mrs. O' Leary. Trioveski was talking to one of his guards, and Percy decided to follow them instead of seeing what the drakon would do. As the doors shut, Percy had one last glimpse of Mykola's terrified face. _

_Then he followed the Russian out of the room._

_"-do not care."_

_"He's just a boy, sir! Even if he somehow survives the monster, he'll go insane! This is ridiculous! How long will you-"_

_"One month. Then I shall begin to use the magic he carries. By then the basics of the bomb will be finished."_

_"You're going to leave a dragon with a boy for a month?!"_

_"Yes. Do you have a problem?"_

_"De- um, no, sir."_

_"Good."_

Percy realized he wasn't looking into the past anymore. Mnemosyne had vanished, Mykola in her place. And he wasn't happy.

"What happened?" The fourteen-year-old asked. "How much did you see?"

All Percy could do was stare at Mykola and wonder how on Earth he was still alive.

**Well, another chapter out of the way. Now, The story behind the scars has been revealed, as well as the reason Mykola is so angry all the time, but what is going on with Nico and Annabeth? And what is the mysteries of Candide and Liam Cromwell?**

**I'll give you all a little spoiler. **

**When families are made, they slowly grow, and grow. Traits are passed on, and with demigods, abilities, like Mykola's heritage. But Liam Cromwell hides a secret. A big secret, that only two others know about. There's still one last descendant of Poseidon existing, even though Poseidon's blood is so faint it's almost invisible. The first of that line died millions of years ago, as a massive hero we all know about. One ancient demigod, that nearly defeated Hercules himself. Frank Zhang isn't the only shape shifter in the world.**

**Review if you feel like it!**

**-Seas and Shadows**


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